Located at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, Waterway House is a commercial development comprising two four-storey buildings over a shared basement. The building was the first of our projects in the area, in the first phase of the area’s redevelopment. We’ve since designed Battery Park and 5 Dock Road, the recently launched residential project that kickstarts the second phase of the masterplan to be implemented alongside Battery Park
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The brief by the V&A Waterfront was to design a gateway building to the vibrant mixed-use Canal District neighbourhood. The development occupies a narrow linear site between the canal and Dock Road, the key access route into the V&A Waterfront from the city.
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Our response to the brief was to create a viable commercial building that provides sufficient floor space for users to allow for maximum flexibility. Each building is fragmented by a generous entrance, atrium and circulation core, breaking the building up into two further segments. The space between the buildings creates a view corridor from Table Bay to the Noon Gun on Signal Hill and aligns with the bridge over the canal that connects the site to the rest of the Canal District.
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The recessed ground floor façade creates generous, sheltered walkways with retail frontage along the full length of the building. This activates the busy pedestrian route along Dock Road. At the same time, ground floor is also slightly raised above the road and pavement level giving the retail space greater visibility from Dock Road. The floor to ceiling height at this level is nearly 1.5 times that of the office floors above, creating a solid yet transparent base to the building, with views through the retail units to the canal and urban park beyond.
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Waterway House features a crystalline glass façade which adds lightness. The façade is animated by reflections of the water-based activity on the canal. The integrated façade system comprises a combination of vision, fritted and spandrel panels designed to maximise natural light penetration into the offices. Aluminium fins help to control solar heat gain and glare. Each building culminates at the ends in a fully glazed cantilevered element. Screened terraces on every floor provide breakaway spaces for the offices, which enjoy striking city views to the south and harbour views to the north.
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The building’s eyebrow unifies the two buildings and also practically conceals the anchor system for rope access window cleaners. Habitable bridges link the buildings on the second and third floors. These enable the two buildings to operate independently or as a single entity.
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Waterway House also exemplifies our commitment to sustainability. It was designed according to best practice green principles and holds a 5-Star Green Star SA Design rating.

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Wieland Gleich - Photographer